The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 377(1845)

Published: Jan. 10, 2022

A century ago, foundational work by Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe described a ‘pecking order’ in chicken societies, where individuals could be ordered according to their ability exert influence over group-mates. Now known as dominance hierarchies, these structures have been shown plethora of individual characteristics and outcomes, situating research pillar the study modern social ecology evolution. Here, we first review some major questions that answered about hierarchies last 100 years. Next, introduce contributions this theme issue summarize how they provide ongoing insight epistemology, physiology neurobiology, hierarchical structure, dynamics dominance. These employ full range approaches available biologists. Cross-cutting themes emerging from include focus on cognitive underpinnings dominance, application network-analytical approaches, utility experimental rank manipulations for revealing causal relationships. Reflection years reveals Schjelderup-Ebbe's early ideas subsequent helped drive shift an essentialist view species recognition rich inter-individual variation social, behavioural physiological phenotypes. This article is part ‘The centennial pecking order: current state future prospects hierarchies’.

Language: Английский

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Beyond the dichotomy between field and lab — the importance of studying cognition in context

Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 46, P. 101172 - 101172

Published: June 28, 2022

Animals are governed by their individual and species-specific predispositions, constrained natural social environment, influenced daily-life experiences. Drawing a broad comparative arc from domestic dogs corvids to nonhuman primates, we illustrate the importance of looking beyond any presumed dichotomy between field lab studies acknowledging that all animals' cognition behavior context in which an finds itself, as well empirical imposed us researchers. We address need for, benefits properly reporting context(s) under is investigated. This allows making valid comparisons across populations testing for effect varying contexts on how flexibly animals express cognitive abilities.

Language: Английский

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DomArchive: a century of published dominance data

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 377(1845)

Published: Jan. 10, 2022

Dominance behaviours have been collected for many groups of animals since 1922 and serve as a foundation research on social behaviour structure. Despite wealth data from the last century dominance hierarchies, these are only rarely used comparative insight. Here, we aim to facilitate studies structure function hierarchies by compiling published interaction datasets 100 years work. This compiled archive includes 436 190 367 unique (mean group size 13.8, s.d. = 13.4) 135 different species, totalling over 243 000 interactions. These presented in an R package alongside relevant metadata tool subsetting based biological or methodological criteria. In this paper, explain how use archive, discuss potential limitations data, reflect best practices publishing our experience assembling dataset. will important resource future promote development general unifying theories behavioural ecology that can be grounded testing with empirical data. article is part theme issue ‘The centennial pecking order: current state prospects study hierarchies’.

Language: Английский

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Patterns of object play behaviour and its functional implications in free-flying common ravens

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 15(1)

Published: Jan. 2, 2025

Abstract Object play has been proposed to provide individuals with information about their environment, facilitating foraging skills and tool use. In species where object co-occurs locomotor or social play, it may have additional functional implications, such as the evaluation of peers forming bonds. For instance, ravens judge others’ competitiveness via caching engage in by exchanging objects. However, most raven studies were conducted on a restricted number under controlled captive settings. To validate these findings gauge scope field conditions, we investigated patterns characteristics individually marked free-flying Austrian Alps. Using two large data sets, show decrease age preference for playing longer novel objects, supporting from captivity. We also find adults occasionally objects no difference duration non-social bouts across classes. Taken together, our are line assumption that likely more than one function serves gain individual’s physical environment.

Language: Английский

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Pinyon Jays (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) and Clark’s nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana) can discriminate between pilfering and non-pilfering conspecifics, but not between heterospecifics

Animal Cognition, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 28(1)

Published: Feb. 28, 2025

When foraging, individuals often need to assess potential risk from competitors. Within many food-caching (food-storing) species, can modify their caching behavior depending on whether other are present during the event. During caching, may interact with not only conspecifics but also heterospecifics. However, extent which individual cachers discriminate between and heterospecifics that a pilfering threat or not, has received little attention. this study, we examined issue food-storing birds, highly social pinyon jays less Clark's nutcrackers. Cachers were given choice store seeds in one of two visually distinct trays. Subsequently, trays was an (either conspecific heterospecific) who pilfered caches, whereas tray did pilfer caches. returned cachers, they recached observer more so than non-pilfering observer, when pilferer conspecific. Our results suggest nutcrackers could distinguish based behavior, Together, our reconsider ability corvids importance doing while caching.

Language: Английский

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Effects of a short-term removal of the dominant male on vocalization in captive groups of large-billed crows ( Corvus macrorynchos )

Royal Society Open Science, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 12(4)

Published: April 1, 2025

Dominance hierarchy is widespread among group-living animals as a conflict resolution strategy to avoid the cost and risk of fights individuals. signals are well-known mechanisms that allow individuals assess their opponent’s fighting ability without physical contact, thereby maintaining dominance relationships. In fission–fusion societies, where group composition fluid, status can shift depending on current members. such situations, vocal may be particularly useful due easy modification by signaller. this study, we investigated relationship between rank-dependent behaviours rank ascending temporarily removing from captive groups large-billed crows ( Corvus macrorhynchos ). We removed either first-ranked or third-ranked for 1 day compared remaining members before removal, during removal after rejoined group. found number sequential ka calls, which assumed signal, increased only decreased they These results suggest calls serve signals, subordinates flexibly adjust vocalization presence high-ranked

Language: Английский

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Aggressiveness predicts dominance rank in greylag geese: mirror tests and agonistic interactions

Royal Society Open Science, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 11(4)

Published: April 1, 2024

Individual differences in aggressiveness, if consistent across time and contexts, may contribute to the long-term maintenance of social hierarchies complex animal societies. Although agonistic interactions have previously been used calculate individuals' positions within a dominance hierarchy, date repeatability behaviour has not tested when calculating rank. Here, we examined consistency relevance aggressiveness as personality trait free-flying population greylag geese (

Language: Английский

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A comparative study of mirror self-recognition in three corvid species

Animal Cognition, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 26(1), P. 229 - 248

Published: Sept. 29, 2022

Abstract Mirror self-recognition (MSR) assessed by the Mark Test has been staple test for study of animal self-awareness. When tested in this paradigm, corvid species return discrepant results, with only Eurasian magpies and Indian house crow successfully passing so far, whereas multiple other fail. The lack replicability these positive results large divergence applied methodologies calls into question whether observed differences are fact phylogenetic or methodological, and, if so, which factors facilitate expression MSR some corvids. In study, we (1) present new on abilities common ravens, (2) replicate azure-winged magpies, (3) compare mirror responses performances mark two a third species: carrion crows, previously following same experimental procedure. Our show interspecies approach response to during exposure phase experiment as well subsequent test. However, do not provide any evidence their ability self-recognition. add ongoing discussion about convergent evolution advocate consistent procedures comparing across advance discussion.

Language: Английский

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Perturbations highlight importance of social history in parakeet rank dynamics

Behavioral Ecology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 34(3), P. 457 - 467

Published: March 29, 2023

Abstract Dominance hierarchies can provide many benefits to individuals, such as access resources or mates, depending on their ranks. In some species, rank emerge a product of group’s history social interactions. However, it be difficult determine whether is critical in observation-based studies. Here, we investigated dynamics three captive groups monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus). We used experimental perturbations test shapes emergence these groups. Using targeted removals and reintroductions, tested differently ranked individuals could re-take ranks after reintroduction following removal period from the group. performed that consisted an 8-day 15 focal birds. found no birds regain previous immediately top-ranked showed greater relative loss than middle/low-ranked also morphology, specifically bodyweight, was unassociated with rank. Combined results, this experiment supports hypothesis parakeet dominance more likely emergent outcome past interactions memory rather based individual characteristics. Gaining better understanding how achieve maintain give insight into role cognition acquisition, position have significant biological effects hierarchically structured

Language: Английский

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Coup in the coop: Rank changes in chicken dominance hierarchies over maturation

Behavioural Processes, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 210, P. 104904 - 104904

Published: June 9, 2023

Chicken dominance hierarchies or pecking orders are established before maturation and maintained by consistent submissive responses of subordinate individuals, leading to stable ranks within unchanged groups. We observed interactions 418 laying hens (Gallus gallus domesticus) distributed across three small (20) large (∼120) The observations were performed sexual (young period) additionally after onset (mature confirm stability ranks. Dominance estimated via the Elo rating system both observation periods. Diagnostics revealed unexpected uncertainty rank instability for full dataset, although sampling appeared be adequate. Subsequent evaluations based on mature period only, showed more reliable than Furthermore, winning success during young did not directly predict high period. These results indicated changes between current study design could discern whether in all pens maturation. However, our data rather suggested active mobility hierarchy establishment cause findings. Once thought stable, chicken may provide an excellent causes implications mobility.

Language: Английский

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